Kegulator for electric arc lamps



(N0 Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1. A. 8v T. GRAY.

REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC ARG'LAMPS- l No. 302,221. Patented July 15, 1884.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

( No Model.)

A. & T..GP.AY.

REGULATOR POR BLEGTRIG ARG LAMPS. No. 302,221.

Patented July 15', 1884.

N. Pinus momwm. www n. a

v UNITED Srarns Artnr much.

ANDREW GRAY AND THOMAS GRAY, OF GLASGOV, COUNTY OF LANARK,

y y SCOTLAND.

REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC-ARC' LAMPS.

EPECIPICATON forming part of Letters Patent No. 302,221, dated July 15,1884.

Application filed August 13, 1853. (No model.) Patented in England July20, 1882. No. 3,441.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, ANDREW GRAY, of

Glasgow, in the county of Lanark, North Britain, assistant to theprofessor of natural phi-v losophy in the University of Glasgow, andTuoMAs GRAY, also of Glasgow, aforesaid, electrician, have inventedImprovements in Apparatus for Regulating Electric Lamps,- (for which wehave received Letters Patent of the United Kingdom of Great Britain andIreland, No. 3,441, dated July 20, 1882,) of lwhich the following is aspecification.

Our said invention relates to apparatus for regulating electric lamps.

To regulate the feed of the carbons in an electric lamp we use aretarding device consisting of a hollow drum formed by a single hollowcylinder, or having a hollow space between two coaxial cylinders ofdifferent diameters, or the hollow space within which is divided intotwo or more cellular spaces by partitions properly placed. Thesecellular spaces are partially filled with a suitable liquid andcommunicate with one another by small apertures in the partitions. Vhenthis drum is moved round in any direction by the action of aturning-couple, which may be supplied by the carbons and their holdersyin an electric lamp, the liquid applies an opposite couple resisting themotion. If the magnitude of the turning-couple be less than a certainvalue depending on the amount and density of the liquid contained in thecellular spaces, the wheel will be turned round by the couple until theliquid, by being accumulated in one side of the drum, opposes an equaland opposite couple. The motion thereafter becomes uniform, or nearlyso, and depends on the rate of loss of head of the liquid by flowthrough the aperture. Combined with this, in the application to anelectric lamp, we use an apparatus, as hereinafter described, forfurther controlling the motion of the carbons according to the amount ofcurrent flowing, 'so as to keep the carbons constantly, as nearly as maybe, at the desired distance apart. One convenient form of thisapparatus, which may be used either by itself or in combination withother apparatus for controlling the motion of the carbons, depends on anapplication of the principle of a similar instrument to that known asBarlows wheel, which is a metallic disk which can be rotated round anaxis through its center bythe action of a properly-placed magnet ormagnets on a current of electricity 5 5 passing between the center andcircumference of the'disk. Ve so modify this instrument by multiplyingthe number of disks, and so arranging the currents through them and themagnets, as to obtain the power necessary to 6o separate the carbonswhen the circuit is iirst closed, and thereafter to control according tothe strength of the current the rate of motion of the carbons. 'We placethe apparatus employed either in the main circuit or in a derivedcircuit, as we find convenient. The form of Barlows wheel which we useconsists of one metallic disk or a series of metallic disks providedwith fixed electro-kinetic devices for giving them rotation, and so con-7o nected up thatl the power of a single disk is duplicated by themultiplication of disks.

In the drawings, Figure lis an elevation, partly in section, ofmechanism for controlling the motion of carbons in an arc-lamp con- 7 5structed according to and constituting part vof our present invention.Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 shows the disk connected with theretarding-drum by a series of gear-wheels.

The lamp represented at Figs. l and 2, 8o Sheets l and 2, is suitablefor being used with strong currents of electricity, and is regulated bythe electro-magnetic action between the currents flowing along a radiusof each of a series of metallic disks, a., and a properly- 8'5 situatedpermanent magnet, as in Fig. 3, or an electro-magnet, I), as shown inFig. 2, and as hereinafter more fully described. The disks c are mountedon the same. axis, c, as, or an axis geared with, that of the hollowdrum d, 9o (hereinafter more particularly described with reference toFig. 3 of the accompanying drawings,) and the disks have theirplanesparallel. The current is sent into the disks vc either by causing theirlower edges to dip into cups of mercury c or by means of brushesproperly arranged to make contact on the edges of the disks a, and areconnected together metallically at their centers by their axis c. Toprevent the current spreading in the disks c, they roo may be cutintosegments in the manner shown at Figs. l and 3, the whole of thesesegments remaining,connected at the center. The electro-magnet b is madein three pieces, as shown more particularly at Fig. 2, connectedtogether at one end so as to forni a compound magnet consisting of threestraight, ilat electro-magnets with soft-iron cores, set with theirplanes parallel and with their cores iixed at one end to a common endplate of iron. The coils of these magnets are so joined in circuit thatthe polarity induced by the current in the two side magnets is of theopposite name to that oi' the central magnet. They are of the samelength, and have pole-pieces j" at their extremities, made so as to givetwo pairs of opposing faces parallel to the planes of the magnets b andsufficiently far apart to allow the disks a to be introduced freelybetween them. The magnets are made sufficiently broad to give pole-faceslong enoughto cover nearly all the available radial spaces in the disksa, in which the current is at any time flowing. The disks a are placedbetween the opposing` Afaces of the magnets b in such a manner that thevertical radius joining the mercury-cup c and the center ot' the disk ais parallel to a plane which may bisect the pair of pole-faces alongtheir lengths. The magnet b can be moved on slides lr-that is to say,drawn to a greater distance from the radius of the disk in which thecurrent is ilowin g until the plane through its poles is at suchdistance from the vertical radius of' the disk a as to give therequisite force. We may suppose the current from the generator to passby one of the cups of mercury c from one of the terminals oi' thegenerator to the disk a,- then along a radial space in that disk to thecenter and to the other disk along the axis c, along the other disk c tothe second cup ot' mercury, c,- then to pass through the lampcarbons gand l1., and thence by the electromagnet coils to the other terminal, t,of the generator, or otherwise, so that the whole or a convenientportion of the current may pass through the electro-magnet coils, disks,and carbons.'

In order that the lamp may be used with other lampsin circuit,:thigh-resistance coil is wound round the outside of the electro-magnetcoils, which is joined up so as to act as a shunt on the are. Thisfeature is so well known that we do not deem it necessary to show it.The electro-magnetic action between the magnetic held and the current inthe disks a causes them to turn round until the turningcouple isbalanced by the opposite couple, d ue to difference of levels of theliquid 'i in the two sides of the hollow drum d, and the resultantcouple given by the carbons and their holders j and k. This drum isshown in Fig. l, Sheet l. The hollow space Z in it is the annular spacebetween two coaxial cylinders, m and d. This space is divided intocompartments by partitions o, al1 inclined at the saine angle to theradius, as shown, and each partition is pierced at its outer end with asmall orifice, p. In consequence oi' this dii'- ference of levels,theliquid flows through the orifices p in the partition o ofthe drum d, andthe disks c turn round slowly in obedience to the resultant of theelectro-magnetic and gravitational action. y

The disks aetuate the carbons in theiollowing manner: On the disk-shal`tis a pinion, t, gearing into wheel 1/ on a shaft carrying two drums, aand z, on which cords c and Z1 are adapted to be wound, respectively.Cords a are connected to the side rods of the lamp, to which thc lowercarbon, 7i, is attached, while b is connected to upper carbon, y, whichis attached to plate d, sliding on rods a. By this mechanism any motionofthe disks is communicated to the carbons, rotation in one directionseparating and in the other approaching them. The electro-magneticaction tends in the rstplace to separate the carbons y and 7L until thisaction is counterbalaneed by the gravitation of the carbon-holders,y andk and carbons g and h, while the drum d prevents any great sudden changein the length oi" the are from taking place, thus insuring steadiness ofthe light. At the same time, il" by any accident the current ceases toifiow, the difference of the weight of the carbons ,r/and/i and theirholders j and k is sul'licient to turn the drum d so as to close thearc.

lVe claiml. The combination, with aneleetrohinetic device, of aretarding device consisting of a hollow rotating cylinder divided intocompartments by a series ot' perforated radial partitions, andcontaining a suitable rotar-ding iiuid.

2. The combination, with the carbons of an electric-arc lamp, el"electro-kinetic devices for separating and regulating them, and aretardine device consisting of a hollow rotating cylinder divided intocompartments by a ries of perforated radial partitions, and eontaining asuitable rctarding-iluid.

3. The combination,with the carbons ot' an electric-arc lamp, of apivoted conductingdisk, an adjacent magnet, and electrical connectionwith the axis and periphery ot' said disk, whereby the action of themagnet on a radial current in the disk forms an electro-kinetic deviceacting to separate and regulate the carbons. y

4.-. The combination, with electric-arc-lamp carbons, of a number ofpivoted conductingdisks, magnet-poles adjacent to each disk, and axialand peripheral electric connections for said disks, and connectingmechanism,whereby the combined action oi" said magnets on the radialcurrents passing in said disks acts to separate and regulate the saidcarbons.

5. The combination, with the carbons of an electric-arc lamp, oi" anumber oipivoted c0nducting-disks, axial and peripheral electricconnections i'or said disks, the actuatingcurrent of the lamp passingthrough said disks in series, and magnets adjacent to the disks forgiving rotation thereto, with connectiilg mechanism, whereby thecombined action of said magnets on the radial currents in the includedin circuit with the carbons7 anda redisks will act to separate andregulate the carbons.

6. The combination, with the carbons of an electric-arc lamp, ofapivoted conducting-disk having axial electric connection,speed-reducing gear between said disk and the movable carbons, a fixedperipheral electrical connection for said disk, and adjacent magnets eXercising an attractive influence on the radial currents passing in thedisk.

7. The combination,` with the carbons of an electricarc lamp, of anelectric motor, substantially as described, having a constant rotativetendency acting to separate the carbons, and

tardingdevice consisting of a hollow pivoted cylinder divided intocompartments by pei'- forated radial partitions, and containing suitableretarding-liquid.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speciication inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDREV GRAY. THOMAS GRAY.

Witnesses:

ROBERT ADAM GUNN, J oHN MADDER TUDHoPE, v Both of 115 St. VincentStreet, Glasgow.

